The preparations for King Charles III’s coronation on May 6 are well underway in the UK, with celebrations planned throughout the country. Organizers have announced that spectators will be invited to join in swearing allegiance to the King and his heirs. According to The Guardian, people around the UK and abroad will be invited to recite the words, ‘I swear that I will pay true allegiance to your majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God,’ replacing the traditional homage of peers.
The service will feature several firsts, including active participation of representatives from other faiths, with Hindu Rishi Sunak reading from the Bible in his role as UK Prime Minister. The coronation will also incorporate other languages spoken in Britain, with a hymn set to be sung in Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, and Irish Gaelic. However, the three oaths King Charles will take and that form the heart of the service will remain unchanged.
Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has said the ceremony will ‘recognise and celebrate tradition’ while containing ‘new elements that reflect the diversity of our contemporary society’. The coronation is ‘first and foremost an act of Christian worship’, he added, but he hopes ‘all who share in this service, whether they are of faith or no faith, will find ancient wisdom and new hope that brings inspiration and joy.’ The Westminster Abbey service, themed ‘called to serve,’ has been fully detailed and published by Lambeth Palace.
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